


In This Twilight

by prestoalbatross



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mages, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-07-25 10:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16195907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prestoalbatross/pseuds/prestoalbatross
Summary: An array of letters threatening the integrity of the Inquisition triggers a sequence of events that challenges the very core of what the Inquisition is supposed to represent. Can the Inquisitor make the right call in regards to these matters and protect her people? Is there even a right call to make?Torn between doing her duty as the Inquisitor and doing what she believes is right, Inquisitor Trevelyan sets out on a journey that will take her into the darkest reaches of the Fade and show her just how high the price of blood magic truly is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lairiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lairiel/gifts).



> bookmark/comment/kudo/subscribe to see more work from me!  
> thanks.
> 
> the warnings are for future chapters, and i will make sure to reiterate the warnings at the beginning of the chapters the warnings are featured in. warnings/tags may change!
> 
> also i know this is a weird cross-over but yknow... it's fanfiction...

It had been a few months since the Inquisition's new base had been established in Skyhold. Staring out over the expanse of mountains that protected the castle Ori and her followers now inhabited, she thought about the responsibilities that now rested on her. Not that responsibility was a foreign concept to her, it was something that plagued her all her life. Pulling her gaze away from the scenery, she returned to her desk and sat down, vivid blue eyes scanning the letter before her for the 100th time.

It had been sent directly to her, her advisors none the wiser to its existence. Carefully, she opened it and examined its contents again. The letter was vague but direct. Whoever sent it was aware of a current resident within the walls of Skyhold and they were threatening the Inquisition and Ori herself. A mistake on their part, truly.

Calmly, Ori folded up the letter and without a moment's hesitation, she ignited it within her palm—dropping the ash into the waste bin beside the desk. If they wanted to threaten her or anyone under her watch they would have to do better than that. She stood, sweeping up the white hair that grazed her shoulders into a bun. As she dusted the remainder of the dust from her hands, Ori made her way out of her room and into the foyer of the still dilapidated castle. Soldiers, nobles, and busybodies alike shuffled about, saying their pleasantries as she passed by on her way to the wing of the castle that held the sleeping quarters. 

A quick succession of knocks pulled him away from his writings. 

"It's open." He called, begrudgingly flicking his wrist to unlock the door from where he sat. Ori felt the wave of magic rush to the door then dissipate as the lock clicked, indicating she was allowed access. 

"Niko?" She peered into the young elf's room cautiously. As soon as she crossed the threshold the door shut behind her. Unnerving, but Niko was private, not stupid. He wouldn't attempt anything and more importantly, he frequently was too isolated for anyone to even remember he was there. Ori stepped further into his room, gingerly stepping around the stacks of books and miscellaneous phylacteries that littered the floor. 

"Can I help you, Inquisitor?" He didn't look up from his work, his left-hand scribbling notes in a large tome while his right flipped through several loose documents. Ori stood on the outside of his personal space, partially amazed by the decoration of his room. Rugs of various color and material lay strewn over the cobblestone, providing a plush landing for one's feet, tapestries of deep maroons and greens were strung up—draping elegantly across the ceilings and walls—some even used as makeshift curtains. The color and vibrancy of his domain was in direct contrast to his personality and demeanor. His control and focus over his magic was impressive as well, several candles were floating about the room and no doubt were kept flickering by magic. Ori felt like there was something new every time she came in here, or maybe she just couldn't see it all because there was only candlelight illuminating the space. 

"It's about the letter, isn't it?" He inquired on her behalf. His soft, Antivan accented voice pulled her from her gawking. 

"Yes."

Niko sighed, placing the quill down in the tome as a bookmark. He scooted the desk chair back, minding the rug that was beneath him, and turned to give her his full undivided attention. She looked down at him, fully examining him and taking note on how dramatically different his stature was from hers. Standing, she was about a full 9 inches taller than him, and although he was an elf and she was not, he still was tinier than most elves she had come across. His complexion was darker than hers and spotted with freckles while she bore olive-toned skin and a noticeable scar across her forehead from a traumatic fight before she was the Inquisitor.

"So," he began once more, once again remedying the silence, "Who is after your favorite heretic now?”

"I don't know, but it's becoming concerning. From Haven to here..." She trailed off, her eyes catching movement in the back of the room. Niko adjusted himself to follow her gaze, curious about what she was staring at. 

"Bean, what are you doing?"

From underneath a blanket that was splayed on the floor popped a small, pink, hairless animal. Ori pursed her lips, stifling a small laugh as the nug trotted out from its blanket fort and hopped into Niko's lap. This was one of the few moments where Niko's stoicism broke. He smiled softly at the creature in his lap and scratched him behind his long, bunny-like ears.

"I'll find out who is sending the letters, Orianna." The smile now gone from his face, he was looking directly at her. She nodded.

"If you need anything, just ask."

Niko stood as Bean jumped off his lap.

"Of course." He folded his hands behind his back, holding his gaze at Ori as she broke away to watch Bean skitter off into a corner of the room, chittering in annoyance. She smiled to herself before returning her attention to the mage standing before her. 

"I don't need to tell you about my distaste for blood magic, but you have been a useful ally to the Inquisition so far so I have no issue extending protections to you."

"Good to know I'm only worth protecting if I'm useful." He droned sarcastically as he wandered off into the back end of his room where his bed sat. Ori signed in annoyance, he knew what she meant, but he was, unfortunately.... like this. Niko had now taken up lounging on his bed, clearly finished with the conversation, several candles around Ori extinguished as ones in the back of the room ignited. The only way one could tell Niko was in the room was the now occasional glimmer of candlelight reflecting off his green and blue eyes. She could take a hint, silently she made her way back out the door and like before it swung shut and the lock clicked in almost a condescending tone. She was now standing outside, filled with annoyance and apprehension. This type of situation as not one to be taken lightly, but she knew it unwise to further pester Niko. Setting her shoulders, she walked off towards the courtyard.

* * *

Once Ori had left, Niko got back out of bed and tossed the parchment he had been looking at onto the pile of other documents on his desk. Despite not particularly liking contact with others, he knew he needed to leave his room. 

"C'mon Bean." The nug ran from his hiding spot and sat at Niko's feet as he fixed his messy red hair and patchwork clothing. Well, attempted to anyway. No matter what, he always looked sleep-deprived and horribly disheveled. Giving up, Niko opened the door and exited, Bean following close behind. Out of the room and out into the courtyard, Bean scooted off towards the stables to see the other nugs. Niko had a habit of rescuing injured animals on their missions and bringing them back to rehabilitate them and subsequently release them. Blackwall had taken a liking to this and helped build a smaller stable where Niko could treat the animals and keep the ones that couldn't be released safely. Going their separate ways, Niko walked out and onto the battlements. He needed the fresh air, needed to stretch his legs and fully assess the situation he was now embroiled in. A sharp twinge in his right leg kept him from fully focusing on that, however. He, like many others, had been injured in the assault on Haven, though he counted himself lucky because he still could draw breath. His leg, however; was permanently damaged, his mobility was now hindered, and he carried a small limp. Lost in his thoughts, Niko failed to notice the man coming up beside him. 

"Enjoying the view?"

Startled and practically jumping out of his skin he spun on the origin of the voice, a small dagger drawn. 

"Whhoooaaaa, calm down there, Spitfire." The blonde held up one arm in a halting motion.

"Lucio." Niko glared at him, sheathing the dagger. 

"Me." Lucio smiled smugly, sidling back up beside the redhead. Lucio was, by all accounts, handsome. Though Niko would rather die than admit that to his face. He stood, through no surprise, taller than Niko with a sharp jawline and piercing silver eyes that had a way of making a person feel like he knew exactly what they were thinking. He was a mercenary-turned-noble-turned-mercenary-again and was now helping the Inquisition with his connections to both the court of Orlais as well as his more unsavory connections in the mercenary world. Like Niko, he had also been injured at Haven, having lost his left forearm arm while rescuing Niko. A twinge of guilt twisted his gut as his eyes scanned over the half-empty sleeve of Lucio's shirt.

"It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

"That's probably because you've been binge-drinking." Niko shifted his weight to his left side, arms folded in front of his stomach. 

"Have you been watching me?" Lucio teased, batting his eyelashes at Niko dramatically. Niko rolled his eyes.

"Only because I've called dibs on your corpse for experimentation later."

Lucio winced at the comeback and his expression soured. Not the response he had hoped for, but this was Niko he was dealing with. Lucio ran a hand through his light blonde hair and stared out into the distance, Niko followed his gaze. They stood in silence as snow slowly began to drift down over the mountains before them. 

"Beautiful, huh..." Lucio commented softly. Niko nodded, seeing Lucio's line of sight was directed at him. Clearing his throat, he felt the flush of embarrassment rise in his cheeks. He felt vulnerable now and he didn't like it, his wall of stoicism had been broken by Lucio's flirting and he felt exposed and out of control of the interaction. A beat of panic rushed through him and he abruptly turned and began to walk away from him. Lucio called out to him as he walked away, but he ignored him until he felt the grip of a hand on his arm. The panic he felt now amplified and he felt something inside him slip as a razor-sharp sliver of ice pierced through Lucio's hand and the temperature dropped significantly. Lucio immediately released him, cursing quietly as the ice disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, a trail of blood now oozing from the top of his hand and dripping along the battlements from the bottom. Niko turned his expression one of fear at what he had just done accidentally.

"Lucio, I..." He began, stepping forward as a small wave of energy hit him from behind. He gasped, stumbling forward suddenly looking breathless and very weak. Another man could be seen walking towards them, Lucio's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward to steady Niko who was looking more and more unwell by the second. He slumped against Lucio's chest, seemingly ready to pass out. Or throw up. Maybe both. 

"What happened?" Lucio asked, his concern growing.

"I temporarily nullified his magic," Cullen responded, "By the looks of it, too late." He eyed the bleeding wound on Lucio's hand with disgust. Niko's groan was muffled by Lucio's shirt as he commented on his hatred for Templars. Normally, the proximity would be enough to send Niko back into a panicked state, but the growing lack of spatial awareness from Cullen's spell is what kept him close. Wavering side to side, it was clear he was still stunned by whatever Cullen had done to him. That didn't sit too well with Lucio.

"You went overboard, commander." 

"He was losing control, he could have killed you." Cullen retorted, his eyes locking with Lucio's as he remained stalwart in his conviction. Lucio's glare turned deadly, his ever-short fuse reaching its peak. His body was rigid, and Niko felt has his heartbeat spiked. 

"Don't." Niko shook his head and slowly distanced himself, finally able to stand on his own. Removing himself from this was now his priority, he wasn't going to be involved in any ulterior motives Cullen might have had. With a deep exhale, he stepped around Lucio and descended the stairs of the battlements albeit shakily, stumbling a bit at the bottom step. 

"Don't ever do that to him again," Lucio warned, practically spitting venom at Cullen. Cullen shook his head, scoffing quietly as he went back to his office without another word. Looking back to the bottom of the stairs, Lucio noticed Niko was now gone—regret pooled in his chest, he knew he shouldn't have behaved like that. With a heavy sigh of defeat, Lucio also walked down the stairs, making a direct line to the tavern as soon as he reached the ground.

* * *

"You alright?" Ori took a seat across from Lucio in the tavern. It was quiet now that it was deep into the evening. Mostly everyone had filtered out except for a few patrons, Ori and Lucio included. 

"Your commander is on thin ice."

Ori perked up at this, eyebrows knitting together in confusion and mild alarm. It wasn't often that any infighting occurred except for the occasional tavern scuffle, so hearing this, especially about one of her advisors and commander of her army was enough to get her attention. She trusted Lucio, to an extent. 

"He did something to Niko... Used some weird Templar bullshit."

"What?" Her voice was flat, anger vaguely present in the tone. 

"Stop talking, Lucio." 

Lucio and Ori's heads both swiveled to look at the speaker. Niko stood at the side of the table, a hood draped over his face. Lucio looked back to his drink in silence while Ori examined his garb closely. He was dressed in dark colors, suitable and expected of him, but also good for traveling in the cover of darkness. It fit snugly against his thin frame, long sleeves and leggings were covered in light armor and sturdy boots were strapped to his feet. He looked fit to travel, though he did not look like he wanted to travel. A bag was slung across his body, bits of paper poking out of it as well as the abnormally large grimoire-esque book he always carried with him. 

"Going somewhere?" She inquired knowingly. 

"To find the source of those letters."

Ori nodded, noting the array of weaponry he had carefully hidden away. A smart move, it was foolish to rely 100% on magic out in the wilderness. The weapons he carried were light, but dangerous if used correctly. And Ori had seen firsthand that he knew how to use them correctly. Lucio blinked as if he were trying to sober himself up and process the words Niko said. Blurry silver eyes met with Niko's droopy mismatched ones and there was distinct concern in them. 

"I'm going with you."

Niko seemed completely affronted by this, he shook his head defiantly. 

"Yes." Lucio stood up and stumbled a bit, Niko steadied him by catching his arm. 

"You're drunk," Niko sighed, "And I'm not waiting for you."

Lucio cleared his throat and straightened his stance. 

"I'm good, I'm fine."

Rolling his eyes, Niko released his grip on Lucio's arm and looked at him pointedly. 

"You have five minutes."

Lucio hurried away to gather his effects, once he returned, he miraculously had sobered up completely and seemed ready to travel. Somewhat begrudgingly, Niko gestured for Lucio to lead the way. Which he did with unabashed confidence. 

"Be careful," Ori called after them as they made their way into the stables, then out the gates and into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bookmark/comment/kudo/subscribe to see more work from me!  
> thanks.
> 
> the warnings are for future chapters, and i will make sure to reiterate the warnings at the beginning of the chapters the warnings are featured in. warnings/tags may change!

The fire crackled and flickered against the pitch of the forest behind them. Niko sat cross-legged, furiously scribbling notes within the grimoire on his lap. In his right hand, he held a plant Lucio did not recognize. 

"It's Amrita Vein," Niko said without looking up, he had sensed the curiosity. His hair tied back, and eyebrows furrowed in concentration, Lucio couldn't help but quietly admire him. 

"It's not usually found this close to Orlais. This may be anomalous, or it could possibly be a mutated version of Amrita that can survive in a cooler climate." Niko looked up, catching Lucio's stare. Lucio looked away sheepishly, adjusting his distance and lying down to avoid further embarrassment. He stared up at the stars, silently listening to Niko writing and making occasional noises of interest. A quiet exclamation of pain and a swear jolted him from his peaceful lounging. 

"What happened?" Lucio asked, sitting up a bit too quickly. 

"I just poisoned myself," Niko responded in a tone so nonchalant Lucio wasn't sure if he was serious or not. That didn't stop the color from mildly draining from his face as he tried to figure out what to do next, his thoughts freezing him in place. Niko saw the alarm on his face and with a roll of his eyes, snapped his fingers beside Lucio's ear, uprooting him from his growing panic. 

"Get my bag." 

Lucio moved into action and reached around Niko, grabbing his bag and handing it to him. As soon as it was in front of him, Niko rummaged around inside and pulled out a small bandage and a vial of mucus looking liquid. The swiftness in which he located these two small items was impressive to Lucio because the bag looked like a hellscape which he could not even begin to fathom. Popping the lid of the vial, Niko downed the liquid, grimacing at the taste before clumsily dressing the wound on his finger. 

"Forgot how pointy those little fuckers are." He muttered mostly to himself, bending his finger back and forth to try and get feeling back. Without another word he tossed the plant into the fire, sparks jumping out as the flames reacted to being stoked. 

"Didn't... didn't you say that was anomalous?" 

"Maybe." 

"And you just burned it." Lucio looked between the fire and Niko, taking Niko's bandaged hand in his own and adjusting them to fit properly. 

"It served its purpose," Niko replied, allowing Lucio to hold his hand as he watched the fire. The words were said with an air of indifference that left a bad taste in Lucio's mouth. Niko took his hand back and continued about his business, writing a few more notes before packing up the tome. 

"Is that how you view everything?" The question left his mouth before he could weigh the repercussions. The mage's movements slowed as he thought about Lucio's question. Looking down at the papers in his hand as he organized his bag, he thumbed through them absent-mindedly, remaining silent. Lucio took the silence and climbing tension as a yes. Maybe that's why he never seemed interested in Lucio's passes at him nowadays. Everything was a means to an end for him, even people. What had changed in him since Lucio and he parted ways all those years ago... He settled back, visibly uncomfortable with the silence. For the rest of the evening Niko did not make eye contact with him and the conversation—if it could even be called that—was brief and one-sided. Niko mostly giving one-word answers or non-verbal responses. Eventually, Lucio stopped and decided it would be best to just sleep. Wiggling around, he tried to get as comfortable as could before sleep finally claimed him.

* * *

By the time Lucio woke up, Niko had mostly packed up and was putting out the smaller fire he had made to prepare food. Blearily, he sat up and attempted to rub his eyes before the realization of his missing arm set in. 

"Still not used to it?" The inquiry came from somewhere behind him which cause him to jump a little. 

"Probably like you aren't used to yours." He retorted. Niko stepped around him, two—maybe more—flasks were in his possession. 

"Unlike me, you could still have your arm, but you just had to be a hero." 

"You would have died." 

Niko's jaw set firmly as he packed the flasks into the side-satchel of his horse. Lucio could feel the irritation radiating from his small frame. He backed off, they still had a way to go before Val Royeaux and he would rather spend that trip with merriment instead of quiet acrimony. 

"Are you okay?" Was the last thing he was going to bring up regarding this. They had been traveling quite a while and he knew that Niko's leg didn't fare well in long-distance travel. 

"It hurts," Niko admitted quietly. Lucio had been getting his effects together and assumed Niko would snark him as he did, so when he heard the genuine answer, he dropped his sword in shock. Picking it back up quickly he looked over to Niko, tension obviously being held in his shoulders. Many people lost their lives or were harmed in the attack on Haven. Niko and Lucio were no exception. Niko's occurred when part of a burning building collapsed on him, pinning and breaking his right leg. At that moment, he had resigned himself to death, but Lucio stepped in and helped remove the rafter from his leg, severely burning his left arm. Neither of their wounds were salvageable, the only stroke of luck was that Niko was able to keep his leg. Lucio was not so lucky. Deep down, Niko couldn't shake the guilt, but he would never admit openly that he blamed himself for what happened to Lucio. Though Lucio could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at him. The silence that followed was near painful for both parties. The only noise shared between them was the rustling of clothes and miscellaneous items clinking together as they finished preparing for travel. 

"Look, you may not care about your life, but I—" Lucio caught himself, "Other people do." 

Cheeks flush with bashfulness, Niko turned and squinted at him. Unable to form a coherent sentence, he huffed and went back to what he was doing. 

"Just like old times." Lucio snorted. When he looked back, he caught the brief smile on Niko's face. 

"If I recall you would be a bit more drunk and handsy while hitting on me in the old times." 

"I'm a reformed man." He shot the elf a look accompanied by a sly grin as he stepped towards him. His grin soon fell as Niko went on the defensive, shaking his head and putting his hands up to stop him. 

"No, Lucio." 

A sigh escaped the blonde's lips, but he deferred. 

"Why do you keep doing this?" 

Silence again. The look on Niko's face caused Lucio to recoil slightly, he was upset. Very upset. 

"I want to, believe me, but... I just can't," He looked sadly at the bandage on Lucio's hand. An injury he had caused in a moment of panic, "It's better if you stay away from me." 

Breathing out, Lucio nodded and backed off once more. Together they finished cleaning up the rest of their camp and continued their journey. Lucio couldn't help but wonder about Niko's sudden frigidness when he only remembered him as a vibrant and extremely flirtatious individual. Now he seemed constantly on edge and afraid. Very afraid. But of what? Lucio wasn't quite sure he wanted to know. His horse's sudden agitation brought him fully back to the present where he spotted Niko a few yards ahead of him, surveying the area from atop his horse. 

"Someone's here." His voice, while cautious also bordered on annoyance. No sooner had he dismounted, two arrows flew over his head. The dull thud of them hitting their mark shadowed by distant groans of pain confirmed they had not been meant for him. 

"Sorry ‘bout that!" The voice of a young woman called out from beyond the tree line. It sounded vaguely familiar to Niko. Both the men were still on the defensive as a raven-haired woman broke away from the trees followed by a copper-haired dwarf. She stood about average height for most women in Thedas, long black hair offset by her bronzed skin was tied off to the side in a neat braid while one bright orange doe eye peered at them curiously. The other eye obscured by an eye patch that appeared to have wildflowers haphazardly painted on it. 

"Lilith?" Niko stood stunned. She looked as surprised as he did. 

"And I'm Dagna." The dwarf introduced herself unprompted, but it was enough to yank them from their amazement. Lilith took that moment to close the space between them, bundling Niko up in her arms. His expression now seemed softer. 

"Oh, Maker be praised," She cooed, stroking his hair, "I thought I had lost you for good, Illyrian." She squished him closer to her bosom as she spoke. 

"I'm fine, Lili... But what are you doing out here?" 

"Escorting Dagna to Skyhold. She's our new Arcanist." 

"You're a long way from Skyhold," Lucio interjected. 

"I killed the remaining reasons why." She said, releasing Niko from her embrace. 

"Bandits?" Lucio asked. Lilith shook her head, strands of hair falling out of the braid it was supposed to be kept in. 

"Reds and someone else," She case a wary gaze into the brush behind them, "They looked to be from Tevinter." 

"Venetori..." Niko murmured, clearly concerned with their proximity to Orlais and subsequently Val Royeaux. As they talked, Dagna had been prodding around the area, examining whatever she could before her eyes landed on Lucio's tied up sleeve. Without warning, she tugged on it, unraveling the fabric and pushing it up to the best of her ability to get a better look. All three turned on her, Lucio overtly startled and confused. 

"Excuse me." He snapped. 

"You're going to Val Royeaux, correct?" 

Niko nodded, he didn't have to ask how she knew, Leliana had probably informed any scouts in the area of his and Lucio's journey in case they needed them. Lucio looked supremely irritated that he had been ignored. But it was going to happen again because Niko had no intention of entertaining his short temper today. 

"I could fix this," She wriggled Lucio's amputated arm above her head, "Granted we also go to Val Royeaux with you." 

"Do I not get a say in what happens to my body?" Lucio stepped away, pulling the sleeve back down. Irritation palpable. 

"Oh, right. Well... Do you want a really extraordinary piece of equipment permanently attached to your body?" 

Lucio paused. Niko groaned as he saw the all too familiar glimmer of intrigue in Lucio's eye. 

"How extraordinary?" 

"One of a kind! Awe-inspiring! The best-crafted replacement arm in all of Thedas!" Dagna's excitement beamed as she unknowingly fueled Lucio's ego. Dagna turned to Lilith. 

"Can we go? We're already off track as it is." 

Lilith looked between all of them. Niko clearly agitated. Lucio lost in thoughts of grandeur. And Dagna, looking like a child begging their parent to keep a stray animal as a pet. Her arms folded over her chest, as she tapped her fingers against her forearm in contemplation. 

"We will need to let the Inquisitor know." She surrendered. Dagna clasped her hands together excitedly and Lucio perked up, his ego visibly glittering in his eyes. Niko's mouth was now a tight, thin line and his vexation displayed on his face in the form of a twitching eye. Lilith gave him a sympathetic look and shrugged. 

"Fine. Let's go, we are burning daylight." He prompted, mounting his horse with a precision that indicated he was ready to stop talking and get a move on. The rest followed suit and soon they were on their way to Val Royeaux once more.

* * *

Leliana stood in the rookery, carefully examining the letter on her desk. Another rejection from a potential ally. She sighed and took a seat, not wanting to deal with this now. As she sat there rubbing her temples another raven flew to the window and dropped another letter on her desk. She stared at it as the raven flew off, completely surprised. Perhaps a bit too eagerly Leliana snatched it up and tore it open. Skimming over it as she moved her way down the steps of the rookery and through the library towards the throne room. With her heart thrumming in her chest, Leliana stepped around the Orlesians and commonfolk crossing over to the courtyard where she spotted her boss making conversation with Cassandra. 

"Inquisitor?" She called out, interrupting the conversation. Ori turned to face her, a look of concern showing on her face when she saw Leliana's flushed complexion. 

"Yes, Leliana?" 

She extended the letter to Ori and Ori took it apprehensively assuming it was another threat regarding her harboring a blood mage. What the actual contents completely floored her. 

"I... was not expecting this." 

"Me either," Leliana said, an excited smile creeping up on her face. Though Leliana had read the letter, it was originally addressed to Ori in response to aiding the Inquisition. 

_To Her Worship, Inquisitor Trevelyan:_  
_I wish that I had helpful information regarding Corypheus, but due to my own limited training during the Blight, I know less of ancient darkspawn lore than most Wardens do. However, due to my own search leading to a dead end, I believe joining forces could be mutually beneficial. Since my darling Leliana sent me the original correspondence I will assume she will be responding in your stead. Hope to hear from you soon_  
_Yours,  
Warden-Commander Amell of Fereldan_

Ori looked at Leliana, who already knew what was next. 

"I'll respond immediately." 

Ori nodded, blue eyes glittering with the hope that things would finally make sense and she would have a firm grip over this operation. Honestly, she had blindly been working through the stress and confusion of being the leader of this organization as well as being worshipped as "Andraste's Chosen". This, unfortunately, had been exacerbating her already existing and worsening alcohol problem. A curt sigh passed her lips as she clenched and unclenched her fists before making her way back to her quarters. 

"Inquisitor." A voice called to her as she ascended the stairs. It grated her already frazzled nerves. 

"Yes?" She turned, respiring sharply as she did. Cullen stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking concerned. 

"Did you really send him out without any guards?" 

"You mean Templars?" 

Dead air surrounded them. Cullen bristled at Ori's defensive position towards Niko. 

"Tell me, Rutherford, I was told you allegedly attacked a mage under our protection." 

"He was becoming unstable, I merely made sure he couldn't hurt anyone." 

Ori tilted her head, mulling over his response. On one hand, protecting the rest of the Inquisition was a priority, on the other, Cullen's extreme bias against mages was also something to be kept in check. 

"Don't do anything like that unless it is an emergency," She stood straight and rigid, glowering down at him, "If you can't control yourself then I will find your replacement faster than you can say Right of Annulment." 

Taking the hint, Cullen made his way back out of the stairwell and vanished from Ori's sight. Now thoroughly aggravated, Ori marched up the steps towards her quarters and flopped on her bed wanting nothing more than to sleep. Regrettably, that would not be the case. She never got the chance to sleep much these days. A blessing and a curse. Rolling over, she stared at the ceiling, eyes following and tracing the intricate designs carved into it. Had she made the right call in letting Niko and Lucio venture off to Val Royeaux alone? This along with a million other questions badgered her with increasing amounts of self-doubt. If this is how Andraste treated her "chosen" she had no desire to see how she treated her enemies.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bookmark/comment/kudo/subscribe to see more work from me!  
> thanks.
> 
> the warnings are for future chapters, and i will make sure to reiterate the warnings at the beginning of the chapters the warnings are featured in. warnings/tags may change!
> 
> don't come into the comments section talking about how i should dislike all characters equally because they have all done bad stuff. i don't care and i'll just delete your comments. i'm up for friendly debate but if you're just gonna be a dick you can leave

When they arrived in Val Royeaux night had unsurprisingly fallen. Niko had remained phlegmatic and vigilant throughout the latter half of the journey; the silence filled by Dagna, Lilith, and Lucio's chatter. As they approached, Niko pulled his hood up, dismounted his horse, and walked ahead of the group. 

"I'll be back by dawn." Was all he said to them before slipping into the shadows and out of view. Lilith nodded a small acknowledgment that was not shared by Lucio. 

"Will he be okay?" He asked as they too dismounted their horses and tied them off near the imposing archway that was Val Royeaux's, Sun Gates. Lilith's eyes landed on Lucio and she gave him a smile that was both parts pity and amusement. 

"You don't know him very well, do you?"

Never one to hide his feelings, Lucio was outwardly affronted by her question. 

"I thought I did..."

"Don't feel bad, hon. We grew up together." 

Lucio fell silent, carrying a tenseness both he and Lilith tried to ignore. There was more than just general concern looming over Lucio. He seemed on edge the moment they crossed through the gate, looking over his shoulder and keeping to himself. Unbeknownst to everyone, Lucio was familiar with quite a few people in Val Royeaux from his days parading about as nobility. Nobility was a loose term, he was just a rough and tumble man in fancy clothes and while he adapted well to the lifestyle—the lavish part at least—mercenary work and vagrancy were still in his blood. 

It wasn't long before he and his wife split, and he was back out on the road with his fathers and their band of miscreants. Which is how he ended up in Haven. However, his fathers still traveled around Thedas, though they had finally begun settling down as they aged. Those roots just so happened to be in Orlais. Away from the capital, but that didn't stop them from frequenting a bar they co-owned in the darker parts of Val Royeaux's streets. 

Like their son, they couldn't stay away from work for too long. Nowadays they worked more in the business of trading secrets than clashing swords for pay. A useful occupation in a city like this one. 

Lilith, still sensing the unease but knowing there wasn't much she could do, returned her gaze forward. True to her rogue-ish nature, she slid through the darkened streets of Orlais' capital, weaving through a few alleyways with Dagna and Lucio close behind. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, and so did Lucio. They stopped directly in front of a large ornate door belonging to a chateau overlooking the docks. Lively candles flickered across the numerous window sills, the faint smell of honey and white wine trickled out into the street where they stood. 

Lucio cleared his throat quietly, attempting to brace himself though he couldn't hide that some of the colors had drained from his face. As she went to knock on the door, Lilith cast a quick glance in Lucio's direction before proceeding with her action. The sound of her leather glove muffled the knock ever so slightly, but before the third knock could strike the door swung open revealing a curvy redhead with a face covered in freckles. Her playful blue eyes locked onto Lilith and the uneasiness dissipated from her posture until she looked down the line and saw Lucio.

"Lili... Why is _he_ here?" She asked, squinting at Lucio. 

"To be honest, Portia, I have no idea. I just ran into him along with Illyrian on the way here."

Portia sighed.

"Just give me a moment." She left the doorway empty and shuffled back into the house where there was muffled conversation punctuated by a very sharp "what". Lucio visibly shrunk away when he heard the voice, an action that did not go unnoticed by Lilith or Dagna. Returning to the doorway, Portia invited them inside, her gaze burning into Lucio as he made his way past her. 

"Welcome." The taller of the two women inhabiting the home greeted them cooly, but her eyes were narrowed—staring pointedly at one particular member of the party.

"Hi, Nadi," Lilith responded, trying to ignore the stress pooling in the shared space. Dagna, however; did not.

"Soooo... what's going on here?" She gestured to the animosity between Lucio, Nadia, and Portia. Clearing his throat, Lucio glanced around before attempting to respond to Dagna, but Nadia cut him off. 

"He's my ex-husband." 

Lilith pursed her lips, fully cognizant of how awkward the situation now was. Dagna fell silent too, her normal inquisitive behavior gone. A low whistle escaped Lucio's lips as his line of sight traveled all around the house, focusing on anything that wasn't Nadia or her wife. With a curt clap, Nadia brought everyone's attention back to the center of the room; the tension, though still palpable, was beginning to fade. 

"As much as I wish he wasn't here, he is here accompanied by Lili so let's just..." Nadia's voice trailed off, her eyes scanning Lucio's form as she noticed his missing arm. A brief look of concern flashed across her face. "... Focus on something else." She finished, though her tone was a bit softer than it had been when she started. 

Slowly, they all took a seat in the living space of Nadia's home, taking in the comfort of no longer being on the road. Portia ventured off into the kitchen, returning with a tray of various carafes of liquid and food as well. Soon, there was a round of conversation going and between the drinks and small bursts of laughter, it was easy for them all to forget about the tension that had previously filled the room.

* * *

Despite Val Royeaux's glamor, it had, like all places, a seedy underbelly. And, like all places, it was the best place to get information aside from just the general gossip one could hear around the streets. Slinking through the darkness, Niko weaved between the groups of various miscreants with a determination that made people wary of his presence. Well, most people at least. As he walked a rather perturbed man stumbled out into his path, colliding with Niko rather violently. Falling on his ass, Niko glared up at him as his hood fell from his face. 

"What?" The man spat. Niko stood calmly and dusted himself off, remaining quiet. His unresponsiveness incensed the man further and he grabbed him around the collar, partially lifting Niko off the ground which wasn't difficult due to his size. 

"What do you want, knife-ear?"

The rest of the crowd had begun to murmur while watching the commotion. Niko rolled his eyes, clearly over this entire situation. Before anyone had time to react—much less the drunk man accosting him—Niko pulled a small knife from his right sleeve and thrust it up under the man's chin and into his throat before twisting it sharply. He dropped Niko and he landed gingerly, cleaning the blade nonchalantly. The inevitable scream broke out as the man fell to the ground, blood pooling from the now open wound. 

He reached out, seemingly pleading with Niko for his life. Without a word, Niko kicked his hand away and stepped around his body, pulling his hood back up to conceal his blood-spattered face. Remorseless, he slid back through the crowd as the repercussions for the action fully erupted around him. The crowd surged in an understandable panic as they searched for the murderer. But Niko had long since vanished back into the shadowed alleyways of Val Royeaux's undesirable streets.

* * *

"Been a long time since I seen yer scrawny ass around here, boy." A man barked from behind a termite-eaten counter. Niko stood in the doorway to a place he hadn't been in years and surveyed the familiar surroundings with a look of nostalgia. The bar was about what anyone would expect to find in a place like the slums of Val Royeaux. Old, worn chairs and tables dotted the cracked, stain-ridden wood flooring and several lamps hung from the ceiling, their candlelight providing minimal visibility. 

At one point, the lamps were vibrant and colorful, but now through the years of disrepair and smoke from the patrons, they were clouded and dark. He stepped inside, the floor creaking even under his weight. Some of the patrons peered up from behind their pints or cards, but no one said a word as Niko approached the counter and took a seat across from the older man. 

"I need a favor, Zalthos." He wasted no time getting to the point. Zalthos was a very odd and charismatic man, but he did not like having his time wasted. Another, slightly heavy set, a man walked out from a room adjacent to the counter of the run-down bar. He cast a virulent glare in Niko's direction before attending to and cleaning the bar. The man's name was Beale and he was Zalthos's husband as well as Lucio's dad, along with Zalthos. 

Niko was never quite sure how they came to be Lucio's parents, but he never really questioned it. Lucio didn't like to talk much about his biological parents, going ghostly pale at even the mere mention of his mother. They were both older gentlemen, the signs of aging clear on their skin. Sun-spots and scars littered their bodies from their times as mercenaries and while Beale still had some color left in his hair, Zalthos was completely gray except for his beard which was a charming shade of salt and pepper. 

"I'm surprised our boy isn't following you around like a lost puppy," Beale commented, his back turned to Niko. There were many reasons why Beale wasn't fond of Niko and one of them was the fact that Lucio was—though Beale was loathed to admit it—in love with Niko and Zalthos took any chance he could to play matchmaker between the two. Niko ignored him, and he turned to face the elf, both men glaring each other down with fierce antipathy. Scratching his beard, Zalthos looked between the two of them and sighed, wondering why this always happened whenever Beale and Niko were in proximity to each other. 

"Up to your usual antics, I see," Beale commented as he flipped Niko's hood down and leaned closer to him, examining his bloodied face over the brim of his spectacles with pale brown eyes. He shifted uncomfortably, refusing to further make eye contact with Beale. 

"What's the favor, boy?" Zalthos asked, breaking up the agitation with his comically twangy accent. He leaned his elbows against the bar, catching Niko's line of sight with his own and smiling at him softly. On the flipside of Beale's disapproval was Zalthos' exuberant adoration of him, a bit misplaced if one were to ask Niko but it had been his saving grace more than once, so he wasn't going to argue. 

"I need to know who has been sending these letters." Niko retrieved a few letters from his satchel that had been unharmed by Ori's magic. The paper was delicate and carried a peculiar scent which could possibly be used to identify the sender or at least narrow the search. Zalthos plucked them from Niko's hands and examined them closely, reading over them again and again. A scowl slowly crept up his face. 

"Worried they are going to spill your secrets?" Beale eyed the letters over Zalthos's shoulder, putting away some clean pint glasses as he did so. Sighing in resignation, Niko nodded nervously. 

"I wonder why." Beale chided, going back to cleaning up the bar, not interested in further conversation. Zaltho's mouth and nose wriggled, his beard mimicking the movement. 

"I'll find ‘em."

Niko thanked him quietly before sliding off the bar stool and stepping back out into the night. He still had to find where the rest of his group had hunkered down for the night. Once he left, Beale turned back to Zalthos. 

"You're too nice to him."

"He is just a kid, Beale." Zalthos pressed his lips together, holding the letters tightly in his hand. Beale shook his head adamantly. 

"He's a monster."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bookmark/comment/kudo/subscribe to see more work from me!  
> thanks.
> 
> the warnings are for future chapters, and i will make sure to reiterate the warnings at the beginning of the chapters the warnings are featured in. warnings/tags may change!
> 
> don't come into the comments section talking about how i should dislike all characters equally because they have all done bad stuff. i don't care and i'll just delete your comments. i'm up for friendly debate but if you're just gonna be a dick you can leave

When Lucio opened his eyes the next morning, he was surprised to see Niko’s sleeping form pressed against him. In fact, it startled him so much he ended up rolling away and off the bed, splatting on the cold marble floor below. Niko grumbled and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“You’re so fucking noisy.” He complained, staring down that Lucio. He blinked up at Niko, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion as he tried to figure out exactly _how_ Niko had found them and _why_ he decided to snuggle up to him considering his continuous rejections. Both men stared at each other in silence for a moment before Niko finally spoke. 

“Get back up here, you’re warm.” He scowled and flopped back onto the sea of plush blankets that littered the bed. Scrambling to get up, Lucio grabbed at the edge of the bed and hoisted himself up, sliding back into position and cuddling back up to the small elf. Almost immediately, Niko rolled into him, murmuring quietly, clearly asleep once more. Slowly, Lucio pulled some blankets back up around them and settled, resting his arm across Niko’s hip. The elf wiggled closer to him, nuzzling his chest softly and being completely unaware of the lack of space between them. Just as soon as Lucio got comfortable, however; there was a sharp knock at the door. 

“Come in, I guess.” 

Portia threw the door open and stared at the two of them, annoyance furrowing her eyebrows. 

“Really, Lucio?” 

Niko’s head popped up over Lucio’s shoulder and he squinted at Portia, who squinted right back at him. He tried to wave her off, grumpy that he had been woken up once again. She scoffed and padded her way into the room, yanking the blanket off the two. There was a loud whining noise emitting from Niko, causing Lucio to look at him in genuine surprise. It had been a long time since he had seen Niko be so... vocal. 

“Up,” Portia demanded and reluctantly they both shuffled out of bed and into the common area where everyone turned to look at them. Niko frowned, and Lucio just yawned. Pleasant aromas different from the ones the night before floated through the air—hints of rose, cinnamon, and clove, danced about the room as Nadia, adjacent to Dagna, sipped her tea and eyed the two men with mild interest and a touch of irritation. Candles once again flickered in the window sills and laps that playfully hung from the ceiling, casting colorful shadows all along the walls and floor. Lucio smiled to himself, this entire set up was very representative of Nadia’s style, something he became very familiar with during their six years of marriage. 

“Good to see you’re finally awake,” Nadia spoke, a thin, almost forced smile present on her face, “And you have a guest.” 

“I didn’t realize you got in last night, Illyrian.” Lilith acknowledged from the archway that led into the kitchen. Still incensed by being woken up twice, he muttered something and shrugged in response. She stifled a bit of a laugh, Niko had never been fond of mornings and it looked like he still wasn’t. 

“Did you find what you were looking for?” She asked, sitting across from Nadia. 

“More or less.” 

“That’s something,” Lilith’s eyes flicked over to Lucio and he stood a little straighter once he realized the attention was on him, “Now, you.” 

Dagna turned to face him as well, a giant smile spread across her face as her eyes lit up in excitement. 

“Lilith told me what happened, my condolences—to the three of you.” 

“As magnanimous as always, Noddy.” Lucio quipped, garnering a seething look from Nadia that made him fall silent once more. Niko watched the interaction with pursed lips, trying to quell the uncomfortable feeling bubbling in his chest. 

“I have, however; been informed that Dagna can perhaps provide you with a suitable prosthesis.” 

Dagna nodded emphatically, getting to her feet. 

“I could get the materials here, but I’m not sure I could forge it here... That would probably be a Skyhold thing.” 

“Shame, I kinda wanted to see it.” Portia pouted a bit. Nadia finished her tea, setting the cup down delicately on the table that rested between her and Lilith. 

“Me too, but it is not our place to hold them up any further. Whatever you need while you are in Val Royeaux, don’t hesitate to ask.” She spoke aloud, but the message was mainly directed towards Lilith. Nadia could only be so accommodating towards her ex and they both knew the longer they stayed within proximity to each other, the worse the bickering would get. With a curt nod, Lilith stood and turned fully towards Lucio and Niko. 

“Let’s go get you a new arm.”

* * *

It didn’t take Zalthos long to track down the source of the letters. Orlesians could never keep their mouths shut. Eularia and Jacobus Gérin-Lajoie. They were siblings who were looking to climb the social ladder by any means necessary and scandal seemed like the best method to them. Beale stayed with the bar, he had no interest in assisting his husband on his wild goose chase. 

Once certain these two were the culprits, he wrote back to the Inquisition, explaining the situation in full and what he had discovered. After that, he returned to his home in the outskirts of Val Royeaux filled with apprehension. Deep down he knew he should have found a way to contact Niko as well, but he was also partially afraid of what he would do to them once he discovered their identities. Both Beale and Zalthos had witnessed Niko’s callousness first hand, they knew how dangerous he could be if he was set off or fell into one of his moods; which is exactly why Beale wanted him nowhere near them or Lucio. Zalthos, on the other hand, believed Niko was genuinely a good kid who was forced to grow up too fast. 

Forever the altruist. 

Regarding this, however; Zalthos remained silent. He would let the Inquisition deal with this one.

* * *

Dagna gathered the materials in her arms happily. There were all sorts of metals, straps, and various other accouterment. Lucio watched her curiously and with a bit of nagging hesitation as she picked through and chose only the materials she deemed “the absolute best”. Supposedly, she would be able to craft him a prosthetic arm out of these bits and baubles. A cool alchemic arm. Once Dagna was finished, she turned to Lilith and explained they could leave whenever the rest of the group wanted to. Niko had been deathly silent the entire shopping trip. His eyes were consistently focused on something else in the distance of everywhere they went. Lucio had been keeping an eye on him as they tooled around the plaza. Gently, he nudged at his arm which caused Niko to start. He sharply turned his attention to the blonde. 

“What?” He hissed softly. Lucio frowned. 

“Why are you acting like this?” 

Niko shook his head and fell silent once more, effectively ending the brief conversation. With a clenched fist and gritted teeth, exasperation oozed from every part of Lucio’s being. He would be the first to admit that while he had obvious feelings for Niko, their past relations and Lucio’s (unfortunate) parental situation had driven a knife into the heart of any plans he had of trying to win him over. Also, Niko’s insistent game of pretending they didn’t have a past infuriated him. There was more too it though, Lucio could sense it. Something else was keeping Niko away from him, keeping him from getting past the seemingly insurmountable walls Niko had built around himself. The sound of Lilith rallying them pulled both from their reverie. 

“We should get going. Dagna and I are long overdue.” She spoke plainly, but there was a canter to her voice that suggested there was another reason for her abrupt rush to leave. They agreed and began to make their way to the Sun Gates, preparing to untie their horses and get back on the road. As the group moved forward, Niko hung back, casting one last disparaging look upon Orlais’s capital he caught the eye of two young Orlesians who were staring him down with an intensity that would make anyone else uncomfortable. Breaking eye contact with them, he turned away and hustled forward to catch up with the team.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bookmark/comment/kudo/subscribe to see more work from me!  
> thanks.
> 
> the warnings are for future chapters, and i will make sure to reiterate the warnings at the beginning of the chapters the warnings are featured in. warnings/tags may change!
> 
> don't come into the comments section talking about how i should dislike all characters equally because they have all done bad stuff. i don't care and i'll just delete your comments. i'm up for friendly debate but if you're just gonna be a dick you can leave

Several weeks had past and Ori had been growing increasingly anxious. She knew travel took a while from both Tantervale and Orlais, also the delay of Dagna and Lilith was to be expected, but her neuroticism ran deep. 

“Inquisitor?” Leliana’s voice snapped her out of her overwrought spiral. 

“Yes?” She turned away from her balcony to face her spymaster. Standing at ease, there was a small smile painted on Leliana’s lips. Hopefully, that meant good news. 

“We have received information about the source of the letters and our teams from Tantervale and Orlais.” 

“And the Warden?” 

“In theory, he should be here soon as well.” 

Ori perked up at this, her previous jittery demeanor disappearing slowly upon hearing the news. Before either of them could speak another word, a foot soldier bounded into the room, out of breath. 

“Multiple parties are approaching the gate, your worship.” 

Both Ori and Leliana exchanged a look, Leliana’s was a bracing look as if she was expecting something more than what Ori was while Ori’s was just pure apprehension. Together with the foot solider, they left Ori’s chambers and made their way to the gates to greet the oncoming parties. 

* * *

Hopping off his horse, Niko rubbed his eyes, briefly pinching the bridge of his slightly crooked nose—a lovely injury he had received in his time wandering around Thedas—as he tried to will the oncoming headache he felt out of existence. He was glad to be back at Skyhold, ready to be back in his own room. Away from everyone. Especially Lucio. Ahead of them, Niko noticed a figure walking solo except for a burly mabari by their side. 

The rest of them also noticed, Daga seemed noteably interested in them. The group carried on, visibly weary, Lilith and Dagna looked exceptionally exhausted. Once they reached the gate, Ori and Leliana were there to greet them, Leliana was being embraced tightly by the person who was ahead of them. Exhaling quickly, Ori was glad to see all of them safe and relatively sound. Dagna, Lilith, and Lucio had all walked through the gate to mill with the rest of the people who had slowly gathered to investigate the commotion, but Niko hung back—incontestably horrified. 

No one noticed at first until the person—now effectively identified by Niko as the Warden-Commander of Fereldan—turned and caught Niko’s visage in his gaze. Everyone felt the agitation swell up as his eyes locked and narrowed in on a now deer-in-the-headlights Niko. 

“Raven?” Ori inquired. He didn’t respond, just stormed towards Niko without a word. Leliana began trailing him, undoubtedly concerned. Stumbling backwards, Niko began to run from Raven, and it wasn’t long before there was a shimmering trail of light blue haze where Niko once stood, when he reappeared, he was a fair distance from both the Warden and everyone else. 

“Shit, shit, shit.” He murmured as he continued running away, trying to ignore the shooting pain in his right knee. That didn’t last long though as the pain became near paralyzing and he collapsed, hitting the stone bridge hard as he fell. He heard Raven’s boots hammering the ground behind him as he inevitably caught up and a sharp pain in Niko’s scalp indicated Raven had now grabbed him and was yanking him to his feet. 

“Why are you here?” Icy blue eyes met with Niko’s own widening, fear-filled ones as he struggled against Raven’s grip. 

“Answer me.” 

Niko remained silent, the fear slowly vanishing and being replaced with definite anger. With a flick of his head, Raven began dragging the elf back towards Skyhold with little to no protest from him—he passed by a confused and slightly alarmed Ori and their eyes met for just a moment. 

“We’ll talk soon.” He assured her as he hauled Niko through the gates. Reflexively, Lucio tried to move to defend him but was deflected by Lilith’s hand slamming into his chest, near winding him. She didn’t say a word, just stared at the scene in a grave silence, a distant look of mournfulness playing across her features. 

“Lock him up.” Raven handed Niko off to a few Inquisition guards. They looked to Ori and she nodded hesitantly. Niko scoffed and shook his head but made no attempt to fight. No need to add to the commotion, he thought. The guards proceeded to march Niko off towards the dungeon while the entirety of Skyhold began to gossip. 

* * *

They stood in the war room, silently. Ori—justifiably still confused and a bit slighted by Raven’s actions towards one of her charges—spoke first. 

“Explain what happened.” Despite her confusion, she still retained a tone and aura of respect and authority. 

Raven, in response, let out a very longwinded sigh. 

“Do you remember the destruction of the Lake Calenhad Circle?” 

Nodding solemnly, Ori surveyed the room, noting that both Leliana and Cullen had become visibly uncomfortable. The direction this was taking already didn’t appeal to her. The spymaster remained silent, though she turned her head away, Cullen’s jaw was set as he focused his eyes on nothing else but the war table, and Josephine, also quiet, took notes. Casting a sideways glare at Cullen before continuing, Raven stepped up to speak. 

“Uldred overthrew the templars using blood magic, so on and so forth, I won’t bore you with the things you can read in a history book,” At this point, he had begun pacing, “Among the ones that sided with Uldred was the little elf currently locked up in the dungeon.” 

Ori’s jaw hit the floor. 

“This is why ne heeds to be under constant surveillance!” Cullen finally shouted. Raven silenced him with a withering glare. The room shuffled awkwardly as Ori processed the information, realization dawning as she turned it over in her mind. Her eyes landed on Leliana and the spymaster lowered her head. 

“I knew.” Was all she said. 

Ori inhaled sharply, a candle on the far side of the room flickered erratically. A detail that did not go unnoticed by Raven. As he arbitrarily brushed away strands of black—now slightly graying—hair that plagued his vision, a sigh fluttered from between his lips while the rest of the room remained completely silent as Ori ruminated on Raven’s revelation. 

“He’s not that old now, so...” She murmured. 

“He was a child.” Raven filled in for her. 

“How old?” 

“Probably five, maybe six.” 

She pursed her lips. Bits and pieces of Niko began to make sense to her, though now she wished they had remained obscured. The stillness was near suffocating as all of them loitered, unsure of what to say to fill the space. Or if there even was anything to fill the space. 

“Does anyone else know?” The question spilt from her mouth abruptly and clumsily, but she somehow still maintained a bit of dignity. 

“Not unless they were there.” Raven replied, folding his arms across his chest. Ori’s eyes now found Cullen’s, no words were said just the exchange of an accusatory glare versus a convictable stare. Raven, along with the other two advisors sunk back, vacating the room in single file. The impending conversation, they knew, was not for them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bookmark/comment/kudo/subscribe to see more work from me!  
> thanks.
> 
> the warnings are for future chapters, and i will make sure to reiterate the warnings at the beginning of the chapters the warnings are featured in. warnings/tags may change!
> 
> don't come into the comments section talking about how i should dislike all characters equally because they have all done bad stuff. i don't care and i'll just delete your comments. i'm up for friendly debate but if you're just gonna be a dick you can leave

Lucio stood outside of the cell. Niko sat inside. 

“People are talking.” 

Niko shrugged. He had been infuriatingly silent since he had been imprisoned. As a breeze picked up along the mountain tops and whistled through the gaping hole in the dungeon, Lucio flinched from the chill—Niko remained stoic and unphased. On the verge of giving up, Lucio grumbled and threaded his fingers through his hair in frustration. 

“Weren’t you from the northern regions? 

Perking up at the sound of his unenthusiastic swain’s voice, he opened his mouth to respond right as Dagna came bouncing the stairs, a wild yet excited glint in her eye. It was surprising to see her considering she had been huddled up in the undercroft for the past few days, feverishly working on her latest alchemic creation. 

“Hey, I need you in the undercroft,” She called to Lucio, oblivious to the fact that she was interrupting a conversation, “The prothesis is ready.” 

A quick glance from Lucio was exchanged between Dagna and Niko, it was clear he was torn between wanting to stay with him and leaving to see what she had created. With a slightly dismissive flick of his hand, Niko turned away from Lucio, “I’m clearly not going anywhere.” 

The blond nodded, though still hesitant in his movements. Finally forcing himself to move, Lucio disappeared up the stairs with the dwarf. Once they were well out of range, Niko let out a curt sigh accompanied by a full body stretch. Being cooped up like this wasn’t foreign to him, but no matter how many times it happened he could never fully adjust to it. Though remaining uncomfortable in a cell was probably a good thing. 

No sooner had that though crossed his mind he noticed a distinct and drastic change in temperature as all the torches slowly flickered out one by one, the sound of them being extinguished sounded faintly like malicious whispers. He swiveled around in his cell, straining to see the source—though a nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him the culprit would only be seen if they wanted to be. Small clouds of fog drifted from his mouth as he exhaled, eyes carefully tracking the cell door swing open. The moment he crossed the threshold of the cell, he knew that he was not in the Skyhold he had come to know and somewhat appreciate. The surroundings were familiar—yet off—and the air was stale, lifeless. 

Wherever he was it was dangerous, and he was completely alone. 

“Little Illyrian...” A voice echoed throughout the cavern-like space of the dungeon. Though human in nature, the voice sounded strangled, like they were trying to mimic what they thought a human sounded like. Steadying the tremble of his hands, Niko pushed forward and ascended the stairs, exiting out into a warped, Lovecraftian nightmare of a courtyard. He wished he had stayed in his cell. Navigating a Fade-touched world was not easy, but he had done it before and now, he was going to have to do it again whether he wanted to or not. 

“It’s been so long, da’len.” 

He flinched at the familial term. 

Cautiously striding forward, Niko staunchly tried to ignore the ever-growing pull the voice that was trying to veer him from his path. He was heading to the undercroft, that was his single-minded goal that kept him focused. Of course, the force that brought him here had other plans and has he approached the door to the main hall spiny stone vines enveloped it within the blink of an eye. 

“Following your beloved?” The voice teased. It was then that Niko took full survey of the courtyard—people frozen in place as they mulled about, soldiers stopped mid stride—this distortion wasn’t just from the Fade, it was time magic. He felt stupid for not recognizing it sooner. There were only a handful of mages who could wield this magic without a focus, but for powerful demons it was a simple as snap of their finger. 

“What do you want?” Niko withheld the urge to snap at the creature, dealing with demons was something he was well-versed in, but this one was different. This one wasn’t as gullible as to fall for the words of his beguiling tongue. Something slithered up behind him as he awaited a response. He was now painfully away of the mounting danger. 

“You’ve been borrowing our power for a long time,” An impossibly heavy weight landed on Niko’s shoulder as the skeletal fingers of the now corporeal demon gripped him tightly and squeezed, a popping noise followed by searing pain shot through his shoulder and he tried his best to stifle the agonized gasp that tried to escape his lips. Any sign of weakness would give it any opening—that was something Niko could not afford, “We would like payment for it.” The demon aggressively shoved him forward, sending the elf flying face first towards one of the craggy thorns. Mere inches from his face, Niko felt himself suspended, all movement completely restricted—though the pain in his shoulder hadn’t gone away. He swallowed hard, still attempting to mask any fear. 

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” 

The demon hissed and Niko was now face first on the undercroft floor. Dagna and Lucio stood before him, perfectly frozen in place. 

“Perhaps you need some motivation to jog your memory.” 

Jumping to his feet, Niko glared at the demon as it slowly floated around Dagna and Lucio, examining them both closely. Any previous fear he felt was now replaced with bubbling anger. With clenched fists, Niko took a step forward only to be halted by the visage of the demon’s sickly claw tracing Lucio’s jawline before sliding down to his jugular, applying just enough pressure to draw a small bead of crimson from below his skin. 

“Do not involve him.” 

The demon let out a low, menacing chuckle. 

“I see, I see.” 

Before Niko could reply, the magic lifted as the demon retreated to its domain. Lucio balked at the pain in his throat and instinctively reached to cover it. 

“How did you do that?” Dagna asked, completely floored that Niko was standing before them. All eyes landed on him as he held his shoulder, looking like a cornered animal. The sound of commotion behind them created much needed relief for Niko as the door to undercroft banged open, slamming into the wall as it did. Niko groaned, turning to face the noise. There stood Ori, disgruntled and maybe ready to wring his neck, surrounding her were several soldiers with various weaponry pointed at him. 

“We need to talk.” 

* * *

Jacobus and Eularia arrived in an over the top, obnoxious fashion. Even by Orlesian standards. Ori had debated even bringing them to Skyhold, but this pest needed to be squashed. She had far more pressing matters than the celebrity status of two teenagers. 

“You could always burn their eyebrows off.” 

“Raven.” Ori sighed. He rolled over, his lanky frame easily sprawling the length of her bed. Yawning, he fully sat up while Ori eyed him from her desk. Throughout the brief time he had been at Skyhold, Ori and he had developed a more than professional relationship. 

In all sincerity she hadn’t planned on starting a relationship with a dying man, but... well, to be honest, she found him incredibly attractive. And charismatic. For now, they were at arm's length romantically, but physically was a different story. Neither of them minded this, both were just glad to have a warm body next to them in the morning. 

“Whaaaat? It would be a fate worse than death to those pricks.” He crossed his legs and flashed her a cheeky grin. She ignored him, opting to continue looking through various letters Josephine and delivered to her— as surprising as ever, it was the same drivel as it had been when she had been called Herald. You can change the name, but you can’t change the bullshit someone in a seat of political power has to deal with. 

Now pacing the balcony, Raven was embroiled in his own thoughts. Like her, he had his own set of qualms to contest with—like being in such proximity to an alleged Ancient Darkspawn. If Corypheus was who he said and what others claimed him to be, Raven’s involvement in all this had now set his already fragile mortality rate at an all-time high. And then there was the issue of Niko. Shaking his head, Raven decided he’d table that for another time. Bigger fish and whatnot. 

“Ahem, the—uh—the Gérin-Lajoies' are here, your worship.” A rather impetuous soldier announced before vacating the premise. 

“Our esteemed guests have arrived, it seems.” Ori stood and rounded the desk, brisk steps leading her down the stairs and into the throne room, Raven quietly humming as he followed her. Aware of the looks they were going to receive. Squaring her shoulders, Ori pushed the door open and stepped out as a hushed whisper fell over the crowd that had gathered in anticipation. 

* * *

Niko, now back in his cell, stared blankly at the ceiling. Ori had given him an opportunity to explain himself, but he opted for silence. Best to not try to explain that there was an extremely dangerous demon in Skyhold because his abuse of blood magic. Not in front of Cullen and especially not in front of... 

“Hey.” 

Bolting upright, Niko searched for the source of the voice. Mildly panicked when he could not pinpoint its location—the last time he heard a disembodied voice it did not end particularly well. 

“Over here.” The voice was mum and only Niko seemed to be able to hear it as the guard stationed by his cell appeared none the wiser. Turning to the small barred window, a look of disbelief washed over his face. From the edge of the window he spotted a pair of colorless irises peering back at him, crinkled corners of the eyes indicated a grin. 

“Why are you here?” The redhead rasped through his teeth. In the cell beside him, a person shifted restlessly. Cullen had joined him now in the dungeon following Raven’s account of the destruction of Lake Calenhad. Not that Niko felt bad for him, the only reason Leliana escaped imprisonment is because one, there wasn’t enough cells and two, Raven liked her better than Cullen. Simple nepotism on that last part. 

“I wanted to see you, also check this out,” Lucio stuck his left arm through the window, wiggling the fingers of the prosthesis. Niko examined it silently, “Dagna was right, it IS awe-inspiring. Perfectly suited for a man such as me.” 

“A man who is going to end up a smear on the mountainside if he doesn’t leave.” Niko’s jaw clenched and he grabbed Lucio’s arm, yanking him close to the window. The contact ended as soon as it began, Niko’s eyes fluttering and rolling back in his head ever-so slightly. A dazed look now rested on his face as he slumped against the wall, breathing slightly labored. 

“There’s... there’s raw lyrium in that.” His reaction had now caught the attention of the guard who hurried to get the door open and for a moment Niko hoped that they wouldn’t... 

“Are you an idiot?” The guard asked, completely incredulous upon seeing Lucio through the bars. 

“Maybe a little.” He flashed the guard an audacious grin before scuttling away, snickering as he did. Niko shook his head, the guard now turning their attention back to him as they knelt beside him. After a quick, simple examine of his vitals and a battery of questions involving Lucio and his level of stupidity, the guard determined that a healer should be sent for considering Niko’s breathing was still labored and he was still a bit disoriented. There was no protesting it, so Niko finished his sliding decent down the wall to the floor, staring intently at his hand as he flexed his fingers. Raw lyrium. 

It was dangerous. Deadly. Addictive. Surely Dagna hadn’t done it maliciously, but there had to be a reason why she would put Lucio in direct exposure to it. Maybe the rest of the prosthesis countered the lyriums’ effect and it was simply because he was a mage that it affected him so. Despite all this, Niko couldn’t help but glance at the window with a small smile on his face.


End file.
